The ability to place a lathering cleansing phase in physical contact with a non-lathering structured aqueous phase and maintain stability for any period of time has proved to be a problem. The physical contact of a non-lathering structured aqueous phase and a lathering cleansing phase creates a situation where they are thermodynamically unstable.
One attempt at providing a non-lathering structured aqueous phase and lathering cleansing phase from a personal cleansing product while maintaining stability would be the use of dual-chamber packaging. These packages comprise separate cleansing compositions and non-lathering structured aqueous compositions, and allow for the co-dispensing of the two in a single or dual stream. The separate non-lathering structured aqueous composition and lathering cleansing compositions thus remain physically separate and stable during prolonged storage and just prior to application, but then mix during or after dispensing to provide conditioning and cleansing benefits from a physically stable system. Although such dual-chamber delivery systems provide improved cleansing benefits versus conventional systems, it is often difficult to achieve consistent and uniform performance because of the uneven dispensing ratio between the lathering cleansing phase and the non-lathering structured aqueous phase from these dual-chamber packages. Additionally, these packaging systems add considerable cost to the finished product.
Accordingly, the need still remains for stable personal cleansing compositions that provide cleansing with increased lather longevity and improved lathering characteristics, and skin benefits such as silky skin feel, improved soft skin feel, and improved smooth skin feel. It has now been found that multi-phase personal cleansing compositions comprising two phases in physical contact that remain stable over time can be formulated.
The multi-phase personal cleansing compositions of the present invention comprise a lathering cleansing phase and a non-lathering structured aqueous phase that are packaged in physical contact yet remain stable.
The compositions of the present invention further provide superior aesthetics via the multi-phased appearance and improved skin feel during and after application. It has been found that such compositions can be formulated into two separate hydrophilic phases in physical contact without compromising product lather performance and stability.
It has also been found that the multi-phase personal cleansing compositions herein can be formulated with selected skin active agents that provide improved chronic skin benefits to the skin. These compositions comprise a lathering cleansing phase containing a cleansing surfactant and at least one additional non-lathering structured aqueous phase wherein a skin active agent can be found in either phase or both phases at the same time, wherein the lathering cleansing and the non-lathering structured aqueous phase are packaged in physical contact while remaining stable over time.